Improvement in car-axle-box lids



R. WELLS. Car-Axle BOX-Lid.

No. 209,150. Patented of. 22,1878.`

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UNITED STATES PATENT Trios.

REUBEN WELLS, OF JEFFERSONV ILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOSEPH W. SPRAGUE, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-AXLE-BOX LIDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,150, dated October 22, 1878; application filed August 31, 1878.

To all 'whom fit may concern Be it known that I, REUBEN WELLS, of J effersonville, Clark county, State of Indiana, ain the inventor of an Improved Cover for Journal-Boxes of Car-Axles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, and in which- Figure 1 is an under-side view of my improved cover and its attached devices, the cover being shown swung up or open. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, the cover being shown in the saine position as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central cross-section of the same, showing the cover closed down upon the box.

My invention relates to a lid or cover'for the axle-box which incloses the journal-box of a car, and in which the waste saturated with oil to accomplish the'lubrication of the journal is placed 5 and my invention consists in a cover for an axle-box, having a leaf-spring arranged as hereinafter described, working on a cam of the peculiar arrangement and form hereinafter set forth, and as more at length recited in the claims.

A is the cover, which is hinged to the box in the usual manner, as shown at a.

When it is desired to place my improved cover upon boxes already in use the cover may be hinged to a frame, D, as shown, the said frame being constructed and arranged to be bolted or otherwise secured upon the top of the box.

B is the leafspring, one end of which is secured to the cover on the upper side thereof, as seen at b. The spring is preferably re-enforced by a leaf, B', which is placed underneath it, as shown, and which conforms in outline and curvature to the spring B. The free end of this spring B bears and Works upon the cam C, and the said end b1 is formed or curved so that its bearing or wearing surface is convex to the face of the cam, as shown. This end bl is also preferably turned over or lapped upon itself, as shown at b2, whereby the wearing end is made more durable.

The cam C, on which the said spring bears and Works, is mounted on alug, d, which is on the top of the box or the frame D, as the case may be. The cam C may, if desired, be castin one piece with the lug and the box or frame D, or the parts may be fabricated separately and attached and rigidly secured to each other. The cam thus constitutes part of the hinge of the cover, as is shown. The upper face, c, of the cam Vis given a convex curve, which is preferably concentric to the axis of the hinge of the cover, and in its front or under face 1s therecess c1, which receives the end b1 of the spring when the cover is closed, as seen in Fig. 3.

The face of the cain upon which the spring bears is coincident in width with the width of the spring on the front of said cam at the point where the face of the cam recedes into the recess el. The edge c2 is thus constituted', against which the springbears when the cover is closed.

The bearing-face of the cam on its upper side at c is preferably narrower than the face of the edge e2, as shown at c3 in Fig. 2. means, when the cover is closed, the spring B bears throughout its entire lWidth on the face of the edge cz, while, when the cover 1s opened and swung upward, the spring has a reduced bearing-surface.

It is evident that when the cover is opened the tension of the spring B, having its end b1 bearing on the face c of the cam, Willhold the cover open in any desired position, while, when the cover is closed, the end b1 of the spring will pass over the edge c2 and into the recess c1, while the spring will bear on its entire width on the face c2 and hold the coversecurely closed.

It is also evident that While the spring bearing on the cam, when the cover is closed, will operate to hold the cover snugly against the top of the box, it will also press or push the cover away froin the axis a of the hinge, and thus prevent all rattling and consequent wear at that point.

The construction and arrangement of the parts described aiiord the opportunity of employing a leaf-spring of great breadth and bearing-surface, thus obviating liability to breakage and rapid wearing.

i I am aware that car-axle-box covers provided with a spring, yone end of which is held in arecess or socket in the cover, the opposite end being made to act against a square or angular bearing connected with the frame, with an intermediate bearing for the spring on the cen- By this Y ter of the cover, whereby the cover is pressed upon its seat by the pressure of the spring upon its center when closed, and held open in one single position when raised into that position, is not new.

I am also aware that a car-box cover has been provided With a sliding bolt placed in a recess iu the cover, one end of which is pressed by a spiral spring against a curved cam on the frame, whereby the cover is forced down upon its seat when closed and held open when thrown up. I therefore limit my claim to the special devices having the special construction, form, and arrangement described.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the frame D, provided With the curved cam O,for1ned with the surfaces 0 c1 and recess c2, as described, of the cover A, provided with the leaf-spring B, one end of which is riveted or bolted to the cover7 as at b, the opposite end being made to press against the said cam and take into the recess c2, whereby the cover is pressed against its seat when closed and held in any desired position when raised, all substantially as specified.

2. A car-aXle-box cover composed of the lid` EEUBEN WELLS.

Witnesses JAs. FERMER, S. S. J oHNsoN. 

